Ribosomal DNA, tri- and bi-partite pericentromeres in the permanent translocation heterozygote Rhoeo spathacea

Migration of repetitive DNAs during evolution of the permanent translocation heterozygosity in the oyster plant (Tradescantia section Rhoeo)

Due to translocation heterozygosity for all chromosomes in the cell complement, the oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) forms a complete meiotic ring. It also shows Rabl-arrangement at interphase, featured by polar centromere clustering. We demonstrate that the pericentromeric regions of the oyster plant are homogenized in concert by three subtelomeric sequences: 45S rDNA, (TTTAGGG)n motif, and TSrepI repeat. The Rabl-based clustering of pericentromeric regions may have been an excellent device to combine the subtelomere-pericentromere sequence migration (via inversions) with the pericentromere-pericentromere DNA movement (via whole arm translocations) that altogether led to the concerted homogenization of all the pericentromeric domains by the subtelomeric sequences. We also show that the repetitive sequence landscape of interstitial chromosome regions contains many loci consisting of Arabidopsis-type telomeric sequence or of TSrepI repeat, and it is extensively heterozygous. However, the sequence arrangement on some chromosomal arms suggest segmental inversions that are fully or partially homozygous, a fact that could be explained if the inversions started to create linkages already in a bivalent-forming ancestor. Remarkably, the subterminal TSrepI loci reside exclusively on the longer arms that could be due to sharing sequences between similarly-sized chromosomal arms in the interphase nucleus. Altogether, our study spotlights the supergene system of the oyster plant as an excellent model to link complex chromosome rearrangements, evolution of repetitive sequences, and nuclear architecture.

Pericentromere clustering in Tradescantia section Rhoeo involves self-associations of AT- and GC-rich heterochromatin fractions, is developmentally regulated, and increases during differentiation

A spectacular but poorly recognized nuclear repatterning is the association of heterochromatic domains during interphase. Using base-specific fluorescence and extended-depth-of-focus imaging, we show that the association of heterochromatic pericentromeres composed of AT- and GC-rich chromatin occurs on a large scale in cycling meiotic and somatic cells and during development in ring- and bivalent-forming Tradescantia spathacea (section Rhoeo) varieties. The mean number of pericentromere AT-rich domains per root meristem nucleus was ca. half the expected diploid number in both varieties, suggesting chromosome pairing via (peri)centromeric regions. Indeed, regular pairing of AT-rich domains was observed. The AT- and GC-rich associations in differentiated cells contributed to a significant reduction of the mean number of the corresponding foci per nucleus in relation to root meristem. Within the first 10 mm of the root, the pericentromere attraction was in progress, as if it was an active process and involved both AT- and GC-rich associations. Complying with Rabl arrangement, the pericentromeres preferentially located on one nuclear pole, clustered into diverse configurations. Among them, a strikingly regular one with 5-7 ring-arranged pericentromeric AT-rich domains may be potentially engaged in chromosome positioning during mitosis. The fluorescent pattern of pachytene meiocytes and somatic nuclei suggests the existence of a highly prescribed ring/chain type of chromocenter architecture with side-by-side arranged pericentromeric regions. The dynamics of pericentromere associations together with their non-random location within nuclei was compared with nuclear architecture in other organisms, including the widely explored Arabidopsis model.

A simple non-toxic ethylene carbonate fluorescence in situ hybridization (EC-FISH) for simultaneous detection of repetitive DNA sequences and fluorescent bands in plants

The major drawbacks of standard plant fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) designed for double-stranded DNA probes include requirement for experimentally determined heat denaturation of chromosomes at high temperatures and at least overnight hybridization. Consequently, processing with chromosomal preparations may easily result in heat-induced deterioration of chromosomal structural details, is time-consuming, and involves the use of toxic formamide and formaldehyde. Here, I have described a simple and appealing non-toxic procedure with ethylene carbonate (EC)-a formamide-substituting solvent and double-stranded repetitive DNA probes. Applying EC as a component of the hybridization solution at 46 °C not only allowed successful overnight hybridization but also gave a possibility to reduce the hybridization time to 3 h, hence converting the technique into a 1-day procedure. Importantly, the EC-FISH tended to preserve well chromosome structural details, e.g., DAPI-positive bands, thus facilitating simultaneous FISH mapping and chromosome banding on the same slide. The procedure requires no formaldehyde and RNA-se treatment of chromosomes, and no heat denaturation of chromosomal DNA. The key condition is to obtain high-quality cytoplasm-free preparations. The method was reproducible in all the plants studied (Allium, Nigella, Tradescantia, Vicia), giving a species-specific signal pattern together with clear DAPI bands on chromosomes. The procedure described here is expected to give a positive stimulus for improving gene-mapping approaches in plants.

Translocations of chromosome end-segments and facultative heterochromatin promote meiotic ring formation in evening primroses

Due to reciprocal chromosomal translocations, many species of Oenothera (evening primrose) form permanent multichromosomal meiotic rings. However, regular bivalent pairing is also observed. Chiasmata are restricted to chromosomal ends, which makes homologous recombination virtually undetectable. Genetic diversity is achieved by changing linkage relations of chromosomes in rings and bivalents via hybridization and reciprocal translocations. Although the structural prerequisite for this system is enigmatic, whole-arm translocations are widely assumed to be the mechanistic driving force. We demonstrate that this prerequisite is genome compartmentation into two epigenetically defined chromatin fractions. The first one facultatively condenses in cycling cells into chromocenters negative both for histone H3 dimethylated at lysine 4 and for C-banding, and forms huge condensed middle chromosome regions on prophase chromosomes. Remarkably, it decondenses in differentiating cells. The second fraction is euchromatin confined to distal chromosome segments, positive for histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation and for histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation. The end-segments are deprived of canonical telomeres but capped with constitutive heterochromatin. This genomic organization promotes translocation breakpoints between the two chromatin fractions, thus facilitating exchanges of end-segments. We challenge the whole-arm translocation hypothesis by demonstrating why reciprocal translocations of chromosomal end-segments should strongly promote meiotic rings and evolution toward permanent translocation heterozygosity. Reshuffled end-segments, each possessing a major crossover hot spot, can furthermore explain meiotic compatibility between genomes with different translocation histories.

Intraspecific polymorphism of ribosomal DNA loci number and morphology in Brachypodium pinnatum and Brachypodium sylvaticum

The genus Brachypodium has become the target of extensive cytomolecular studies since one of its representatives, B. distachyon, has been accepted as a model plant for temperate cereals and forage grasses. Recent preliminary studies suggested that intraspecific rDNA polymorphism can occur in at least two members of the genus, B. sylvaticum and B. pinnatum, so the aim of this study was to further analyse this phenomenon. FISH with 25S rDNA and 5S rDNA probes was performed on somatic metaphase chromosomes, supplemented by the silver staining technique which distinguishes transcriptionally active from inactive 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA loci. The number, size and chromosomal distribution of 5S rDNA loci were very constant: two loci were invariably observed in all studied diploid accessions of both species, while four 5S rDNA loci were present in the tetraploid B. pinnatum. In contrast to 5S rDNA loci, those of the 35S rDNA were more variable. Two or three loci were observed in the diploid B. pinnatum and four in tetraploid accessions. In chromosome complements of B. sylvaticum accessions from two to six 35S rDNA sites were detected. Regardless of total rDNA locus number, only two were transcriptionally active in diploid accessions of both species, while two or four were active in the tetraploid B. pinnatum. Additionally, the fluorescent CMA/DAPI banding method was used to identify the relation between rDNA sites and CMA+ bands. It was revealed that the number and chromosomal distribution of CMA+ bands are in congruence only with 35S rDNA loci which gave strong FISH signals.

Structural heterozygosity, duplication of telomeric (TTTAGGG)(n) clusters and B chromosome architecture in Tradescantia virginiana L

Fluorescent in situ hybridization, C-banding/DAPI, and CMA(3)-fluorescence were performed to reveal the cytomolecular constitution of the standard (A) and supernumerary (B) chromosomes of an autotetraploid Tradescantia virginiana L. The analyses show that translocations and/or inversions have occurred during the evolution of the T. virginiana karyotype, generating a significant level of structural heterozygosity. Regarding the structural level, the present paper confirms the occurrence of small subterminal duplications and/or inversions in T. virginiana already suggested by previous authors. Interestingly, many of the distal chromosome segments in T. virginiana possess duplicated subterminal telomere clusters, heterochromatin, 5S and 45S rDNAs orderly intermixed and share this complex cytomolecular architecture with the common type of a B chromosome. Based on the obtained results, it is proposed that in T. virginiana the B chromosome may have arisen via excision from the distal region of an A chromosome. The nascent B could have retained much of the ancestral sequence arrangement, including duplicated telomeric cluster(s), heterochromatin and rDNA, but developed a new centromere/kinetochore to successfully propagate through the cell cycle.

Breakdown of the balanced lethals in Rhoeo: the structure of the Alethal Renner complex of the homozygotic stock of Rhoeo

Fluorescence in situ hybridization, base-specific fluorescence, C-banding and silver-staining were performed to reveal the cyto-molecular constitution of the karyotype in the bivalent-forming Rhoeo spathacea concolor. It was shown that the genome of this form is almost identical to the β-complex of the ring-forming rhoeos. In spite of some modifications in the arrangement of a few distal rDNA sites and in the amount of pericentromeric AT-rich heterochromatin, the alethal genome of the bivalent-forming Rhoeo seems segmentally unaltered. Thus, the breakdown of balanced lethals in Rhoeo is most likely uncoupled from creating new chromosome arm combinations.